Nirmala Sitharaman Fires Back At Opposition: '26 States Not Named In 2009 Budget Either!'

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, addressing the Lok Sabha, dismissed claims that opposition-ruled states were overlooked in the Union Budget 2024.

She emphasised that no state was denied funds and highlighted that previous budgets under the UPA government also did not mention all states by name.

Photo Credit: PTI

"I have reviewed Budget speeches from 2004-2005 onwards. The 2004-2005 Budget did not name 17 states. Did those states not receive funds?" Sitharaman questioned, as reported by PTI. She continued to list instances from subsequent years where several states were not mentioned but still received funding.

Union Budget Allocations

The finance minister pointed out that in the 2005-06 budget, 18 states were unnamed, followed by 13 in 2006-07, 16 in 2007-08, and 13 in 2008-09. In the 2009-10 budget, a total of 26 states were not mentioned. Despite this, all these states received their allocated funds.

Opposition parties criticised the Union Budget for its announcements regarding Bihar and Andhra Pradesh, both governed by key NDA allies Janata Dal (United) and Telugu Desam Party respectively. Sitharaman responded to these criticisms during her speech.

Sitharaman's Response to Employment Concerns

During her address, Sitharaman cited an SBI research report indicating that India created 12.5 crore jobs between 2014 and 2023. This figure starkly contrasts with the creation of only 2.9 crore jobs during the UPA government's decade-long tenure.

"The unemployment rate has decreased from 6% in 2017-18 to a low of 3.2% in 2022-23," she stated, quoting ANI. Youth unemployment for ages 15-29 also saw a significant drop from 17.8% in 2017-18 to just 10% in 2022-23.

Increased Social Scheme Allocations

Sitharaman highlighted that allocations for various social schemes have increased compared to last year's budget and have grown significantly since the fiscal year of 2013-14. For instance, the allocation for agriculture and allied sectors has risen from ₹30,000 crore in 2013-14 to ₹1.52 lakh crore currently, which is ₹8,000 crore more than last year.

The finance minister's statements aimed to counter opposition claims and demonstrate the government's commitment to equitable fund distribution across all states regardless of political affiliations.